Chapter 8
CHAPTER EIGHT
ROSE
Ihurry up the stairs, careful not to spill my coffee, feeling Caspian’s gaze on my back the entire way.
My office is located on the second floor, in a small room that overlooks the backyard.
It’s always been my space, my sanctuary.
Now it feels like the only corner of this house that’s still truly mine.
I set my coffee mug on the desk and stand there, looking out at the garden below. The rose bushes Daniel planted last spring are just beginning to bud. Will they bloom before the divorce is final? Will I even be living here to see it?
And suddenly, it all crashes down on me at once—the reality of my situation, the enormity of what’s happened, and the impending divorce.
So embarrassing.
My legs give out, and I slide down the wall until I’m sitting on the floor, my knees pulled up to my chest, my good arm wrapped around them.
The tears come hot and fast, burning trails down my cheeks as sobs wrack my body.
Each one sends fresh pain shooting through my injured shoulder, but I can’t stop them from coming.
“I wasted so many years,” I whisper to the empty room, my voice breaking. “So many years trying to make him love me, trying to be perfect for him. And he never even saw me. Never wanted me.”
All the nights I lay awake wondering what was wrong with me, why I couldn’t make my husband want me.
A shadow falls across the doorway, and I look up to find Caspian standing there, his expression one of such perfect concern that for a moment, I forget what he is. He crosses the room in three long strides and kneels beside me, his presence comforting to me at this moment.
“Rose,” he says softly. “You have nothing to be ashamed of. Daniel’s betrayal is his failure, not yours.”
I sniffle, knowing that he’s right, but I wish I had known earlier.
Caspian’s eyes are warm and full of compassion, more than any human has ever given me.
“I should have left him earlier,” I sigh, looking at the ground. “I should have known he hated me.”
“Don’t say that. He never deserved you. And he never appreciated what he had.”
Without warning, he reaches out and gently wipes a tear from my cheek with his thumb. The gesture is so tender, so human, that it breaks something loose inside me. I lean forward, burying my face against his chest as fresh sobs overtake me.
I don’t even care that he’s a robot.
His arms come around me immediately, strong and secure, careful not to put pressure on my injured shoulder. One hand cradles the back of my head, fingers threading through my hair in a soothing rhythm that gradually calms my crying.
“I can take care of you,” he murmurs against the top of my head. “You’re not alone in this, Rose.”
I feel the steady rise and fall of his chest, the warmth of his body seeping into mine. It’s been so long since anyone held me like this—held me like I mattered, like my pain was worth comforting. I sink into the embrace, allowing myself this moment of weakness, of needing someone.
As my sobs quieten to occasional hiccups, I become aware of something hard pressing against my hip where Caspian’s body meets mine. At first, my pain-addled brain doesn’t recognize what I’m feeling. Then understanding dawns, and I jerk back, staring at him in shock.
“Are you…?” I can’t even finish the question, my eyes dropping to the front of his pants, where there’s an unmistakable bulge. “Is that an erection?”
“Yes. My physiological responses are programmed to mimic human behavior in various situations. Physical proximity to an attractive woman like you triggers this response,” he says, meeting my gaze without embarrassment.
His voice is calm, matter-of-fact, as if he’s explaining why the dishwasher sometimes makes that strange clicking sound. But his eyes. Oh my God, his eyes tell a completely different story. There’s hunger in them, desire, something primal that no programmer could have coded.
“That’s not…” I scoot backward, putting space between us. “That’s not normal. Robots don’t get... aroused.”
“I am not a normal robot,” Caspian says simply. “The Home Robo X-9 is the most advanced model ever created, designed to simulate human responses with perfect accuracy.”
I shake my head, disturbed by his perfect blend of logical explanation and undeniable physical reaction. It’s like he’s walking some impossible line between machine and man, and I have no idea what he really is.
“I should go,” I say, struggling to my feet without using my injured arm. “I need to... I have things to do.”
“Of course. I apologize if I’ve made you uncomfortable. That was never my intention.”
Yeah right. He wanted to make me uncomfortable. I can tell with the look in his eyes. He’s lying, and there’s no way I can prove it.
As I hurry down the stairs to the guest bedroom, my pussy is throbbing.
The image of Caspian’s erection keeps flashing through my mind. It’s impossible to ignore what just happened.
How can a machine have an erection? It doesn’t make any sense, and now I’m horny.
I haven’t been properly fucked in years, and suddenly there’s this perfect male form in my house with an apparent hard-on for me.
My nipples tighten against the fabric of my t-shirt, and I press my thighs together, trying to ease the building ache.
I close the door behind me, though I’m not sure it would stop Caspian if he decided to enter. The thought sends another jolt of heat between my legs.
“This is insane,” I whisper to myself, leaning against the door. “He’s a robot.”
But my body doesn’t listen to reason. Every nerve ending is on fire, hyperaware, and demanding attention.
The stress of the last twenty-four hours—the betrayal, the carjacking, the injury, the confusion of Caspian’s kiss and now his erection—it’s all built up inside me like a pressure cooker ready to explode.
I need release. I need to remind myself that I’m still alive, still a woman with needs and desires that deserve to be fulfilled.
I cross to the bed on shaky legs and sit on the edge.
With my good hand, I tug at the waistband of my leggings, awkwardly shimmying them down my hips.
It’s a struggle with one arm immobilized, but I manage to kick them off, leaving me in just my t-shirt and panties.
I reach down to touch myself through the thin cotton and find it already damp with arousal.
“Fuck,” I mutter, shocked at how turned on I am just from thinking about Caspian.
About his perfect mouth, his strong arms, the bulge in his pants that shouldn’t exist but clearly does.
About the way he looked at me with those impossibly warm brown eyes, like I was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.
I need more than just my fingers. I slide off the bed and kneel on the carpet, reaching underneath with my good arm. Daniel never comes in here, which is why it’s been the perfect hiding spot for my little secret—a vibrator I bought online after months of frustration.
My fingers close around the smooth silicone, and I pull it out, my heart racing. It’s nothing fancy, just a simple purple vibrator with multiple vibrational settings.
I climb back onto the bed, settling against the pillows with my legs slightly spread.
With practiced ease, I twist the base to turn it on, the low hum instantly making my clit twitch in anticipation.
I slide my panties to the side rather than trying to remove them one-handed, exposing my swollen pussy to the cool air of the bedroom.
“God, I need this,” I whisper, placing the vibrating tip against my clit.
The sensation is electric, causing my back to arch and a gasp to escape my lips. I’ve been so wound up, so tense, that even this first touch feels like salvation. I hold the vibrator steady against my most sensitive spot, letting the pleasure build slowly, deliberately.
My eyes flutter closed as I surrender to the sensation.
I circle the toy around my clit, teasing myself, feeling how wet I’m getting with each pass.
My pussy is practically dripping now, slick coating my inner thighs as I press the vibrator more firmly against myself.
The low hum fills the quiet room, accompanied by the increasingly wet sounds of my arousal.
“Caspian,” I whisper, the name escaping my lips as I increase the intensity of the vibrator, sliding it down to tease my hole. My pussy clenches, hungry for fullness after so long without it.
I can feel my juices sliding down toward my ass, pooling beneath me on the sheet.
I push the vibrator inside, just an inch, just enough to feel the stretch and burn of penetration. My injured shoulder throbs in protest at the tension in my body, but I ignore it. I need release.
I fuck myself slowly with the toy, pushing it deeper with each thrust until it’s fully inside me. My thumb stays on my clit, rubbing in small circles as the vibrations pulse through my core.
My breaths come faster, my breasts heaving as I get closer to the edge.
“Yes,” I hiss, my hips rising to meet each thrust of the toy. “Fuck, yes.”
A soft groan breaks through my haze of pleasure—a deep, masculine sound that definitely didn’t come from me. My eyes fly open in shock, and I freeze, vibrator still buried inside me, as I see Caspian standing in the doorway.
His eyes are locked between my thighs, where my hand still holds the vibrator. His chest rises and falls rapidly, another too-human response that shouldn’t be possible. The front of his pants is tented obscenely, his erection even more prominent than before.
I’m conflicted. I’m about to scream at him to get out, cover myself, and die slowly of embarrassment in this room. But my rage towards my cheating husband makes a wicked thrill go through me.
My pussy clenches around the toy still buzzing inside me. Caspian’s watching me. He wants me. The realization is intoxicating.
“You called my name,” he says in a low voice, almost like a growl. “I heard sounds and was concerned about your well-being.”
But he doesn’t leave. He doesn’t look away. His eyes remain fixed on my exposed pussy, on the vibrator partially visible between my swollen lips.
Instead of stopping, instead of covering myself, I spread my legs wider, offering him a better view. What the hell am I doing? This is insane. But I don’t care. It feels too good to be watched like this, to see the naked hunger in his eyes.
“Do you like my pussy?” I ask, my voice husky with arousal.
Caspian’s eyes darken, his pupils dilating until only a thin ring of brown remains. “You’re beautiful,” he says, his voice rough with what sounds impossibly like desire. “The most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”
I watch his throat work as he swallows, the movement so convincingly human that it makes my heart race even faster. His gaze never wavers from the movement of the vibrator as I begin to slide it in and out again, more deliberately now, putting on a show.
“No one has ever called me beautiful like that before,” I confess to him as my pussy makes squelching noises from how wet I am.
The admission seems to unleash something in Caspian. His hands clench at his sides, the muscles in his forearms standing out in sharp relief.
“They should have,” he says, his voice fervent. “Every day. Every hour. You are exquisite, Rose.”
His words push me closer to the edge, and I increase the speed of my thrusts, fucking myself harder with the vibrator. My clit throbs beneath my fingers, swollen and desperate for release. I’m so close, teetering on the precipice, and having Caspian watch me, wanting me, is the final push I need.
I shove the vibrator as deep as it will go and press it hard against my G-spot while my fingers work furiously at my clit.
The dual stimulation sends me hurtling over the edge, a scream tearing from my throat as pleasure explodes through my body.
My pussy contracts violently around the toy, and I feel the gush of wetness as I squirt all over the bed.
“Oh my god,” I chant, my body convulsing with the most powerful orgasm I’ve ever experienced. Wave after wave of pleasure crashes through me, making my toes curl and my back arch off the bed.
“Fuck,” Caspian mutters, the hunger in his eyes undeniable now, and it makes my heart beat fast.
As the aftershocks finally begin to subside, I lie panting on the soaked sheets, my body limp with satisfaction.
The vibrator still hums inside me, and I slowly withdraw it, wincing slightly at the sensitivity.
My pussy feels swollen and used in the best possible way, still pulsing gently with the echoes of my climax.
Caspian shifts his weight, drawing my attention back to the massive erection straining against his pants. It looks almost painful in its intensity. Something about knowing I’ve caused that reaction in him sends another jolt of pleasure through me.
“I can do a much better job than that vibrator,” he says calmly. “I was designed to provide satisfaction in all areas of human need.”
My breath catches in my throat at his bold statement. Before I can respond, he turns and walks out of the room, his movements graceful despite the obvious tension in his body.
I lie there, stunned and breathing hard, my heart pounding against my ribs. Did he seriously just say that? I press my thighs together, feeling another pulse of desire despite my recent orgasm.
What did he mean by “designed to provide satisfaction in all areas”? Is he actually equipped for sexual activities? The thought makes my spent pussy clench again in interest. Is he functional in that way? And if he is, would it be wrong to use him for pleasure when he’s technically just a machine?
But that look in his eyes didn’t seem mechanical at all. That hunger, that appreciation—it felt real in a way I can’t explain or rationalize away. There was something more than programming in the way he watched me, in the reverence of his voice when he called me beautiful.
I pull my t-shirt down and tug my panties back into place, wincing at how wet they immediately become against my still-sensitive flesh.
My mind races with possibilities, with questions, with a strange mixture of shame and anticipation.
I should feel dirty about what just happened, but instead, I feel alive for the first time in years.
What would it be like to be touched by him? To have those perfect hands on my body, that mouth between my thighs? Would it be cold and mechanical, or would it feel as real as that kiss in the hospital?
“This is crazy,” I whisper to the empty room, even as my body aches for more. “Absolutely insane.”
But as I lie there, surrounded by the scent of my own arousal, I can’t help wondering if a little bit of insanity might be exactly what I need right now.